Focus Sectors-Energy-Energy Board-Inaugural Meeting of the GTI Energy Board successfully held on 16 Sept. 2009---Powered By SiteEngine

The Inaugural Meeting of the GTI Energy Board Boosts Energy Cooperation in Northeast Asia

16 Sept. 2009, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – The Inaugural meeting of the Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) Energy Board was successfully held on 16 September 2009 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, back-to-back to the UNESCAP events on energy cooperation in NE Asia.

The Inaugural meeting of the GTI Energy Board was organized by the GTI Tumen Secretariat, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy of Mongolia.

The members of the GTI Energy Board, high-level representatives of GTI member countries, UNDP and UNESCAP, and international energy experts participated in this meeting.

During this meeting, the participants actively reviewed the past and current GTI activities in the energy sector and discussed the areas and projects for energy cooperation in NE Asia in light of the GTI’s mandate for promoting regional energy cooperation. The participants deliberated about proposed GTI energy activities to be implemented in the coming three years, emphasizing the need to work collectively for the promotion of the cooperative projects in the energy sector of NE Asia.

Ms. Nataliya Yacheistova, Director of the GTI Secretariat/UNDP, chaired the meeting and introduced the GTI and its activities in the energy sector. Welcoming statements were made by Mr. T. Enkhtaivan, Vice Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy of Mongolia, and Ms. Debora Comini, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Mongolia.

Mr. Talyat Aliev, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Energy, the Russian Federation was elected as a Chairperson of the Energy Board for the year 2009 and 2010.

The composition of the GTI Energy Expert Council, with representatives from the Korea Energy Economics Institute, the Energy Research Institute, National Development and Reform Commission (China), the Energy Balances Forecasting Agency (Russia), the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (UK), the Energy Authority of Mongolia, the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, and the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability (USA), was approved for the period of 2009 - 2011.

The participants agreed to strengthen practical cooperation in the energy sector among central and local authorities, the private sector, and financial and research institutions in NE Asia. The participants also stressed the need for close cooperation between GTI and UNESCAP to achieve the synergy effect and to avoid duplication in energy cooperation activities.

The GTI Tumen Secretariat also described the opportunities for the GTI to promote energy cooperation in the region, identified the scope of possible tools for its further promotion, and introduced a draft GTI Energy Action Plan for 2010-2012.

The participants agreed to finalize and adopt the GTI Energy Action Plan for 2010-2012 before November 1st. A number of concrete energy projects will be submitted by the participants to the GTI Tumen Secretariat within one month after the Meeting. These projects will form the substance of the approved GTI activity - “Promotion of Energy Investment Projects in the Greater Tumen Region” in the Plan.

It was agreed that the 2nd meeting of the GTI Energy Board will be held in 2010 in one of the GTI member countries.

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Background

The Greater Tumen Initiative (GTI) (originally known as the Tumen River Area Development Programme - TRADP), is an intergovernmental cooperation mechanism in Northeast Asia, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a membership of five countries: People’s Republic of China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Mongolia and Russian Federation. It has effectively functioning as a unique intergovernmental platform for economic cooperation in Northeast Asia and serving as a catalyst for policy dialogues and cooperation in the areas of transportation, energy, tourism, investment and environment.

At the 9th meeting of the GTI Consultative Commission, held in Vladivostok, Russia in November 2007, participating governments agreed to establish the GTI Energy Board, which will contribute to the improvement of energy security in the Greater Tumen Region (GTR) through regional energy cooperation. The Board will review proposals and making recommendations to GTI Consultative Commission and will serve as a facilitator for energy-related infrastructure development in order to accelerate GTI area’s economic development.